Automatic pencil



Fly-@ff R. SABON AUTOMATIC PENCIL Filed Feb. 2. 1953 Rigi Feb. '20, 1934.

Patented Feb. 20, 1934 UNITED sTATEs l 1,947,802 4 AUTOMATIC. PENCIL Raoul Sabon, Bordeaux, France Application February 2, 1933, Serial No. 654,829, and in France February 8, 1932 6 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improved automatic pencil with loose leads, which is adapted for continuous feed.

The invention has chiey for its object to provide an automatic pencil of simple, sound and cheap manufacture, which is easily dismountable.

According to one feature of the invention, the tube which forms a container for the leads is secured to the radially split end of the sliding tube of the lead feeding device, by means of an axial tapered screw which is pierced with a central bore, and which also serves to guide the lead from the lead container to the clamping device.

According to another feature of the invention, the body of the pencil is provided with a transverse rod, pin, key or the like, which works in lateral aperturesformed in the sliding member and in the clamp, and the length of the notch or aperture of the clamp limits the lengthwise motion of the clamp in either direction.

Obviously, the position of said transverse member, and the radial depth of the notches, are

such that they will allow free passage for the leads in the axial direction.

In the accompanying drawing, which is given solely by way of example:

Fig. l is a lengthwise section of an automatic pencil in conformity with the invention..

Fig. 2 is a partial section of a modified construction.

Fig. 3 is an external view o'f the pointed member of the pencil, showing a modification of the part which forms a stop for` the clamp.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

In the form of construction herein represented, the outer body of thepencil consists of a tube 1 which is screwed at 2 to a pointed member 3 of tapered shape. The end of said pointed' member 3 is split radially at 4 in order to form a clamp at the issuing point of the lead 5. The pointed member 3a of the pencil may otherwise be movable and maybe screwed into the tapered member 3 in the known manner, as shown in Fig. 2.

The tubular body 1 contains the tubular leadcontainer 5 to which is screwed a cap 6 and which is slidable on the body l. at its lower part upon a cylindrical portion 8 of a sliding tube l0, which portion is limited by a shoulder 9 formed on said tube 10. The container 5 is held upon the tube 10 by the vexpansion of the cylindrical part 8 of the tube 10. For this purpose, the cylindrical part 8 is split radially and has an internally threaded bore 11 having at the upper end a tapered enlarged part 12. and

The tube 5 is engaged (Cl. 1Z0-17) thus when a screw 13 with tapered head 14 is screwed into the threaded bore 11, this causes the end 8 of the sliding tube 10 to expand in the container tube 5, thus holding these two parts together. In order that it may be properly screwed, the head 14 of the screw 13 has a diametral slot 15, or the like, by which it may be turned by the use of a tool which is inserted through the tube 5, after removing the cap 6.

The screw 13 is pierced with a longitudinal 55 channel 16 for guiding the leads 17, one by one, towards the axial channel 18 of a clamping device 19, known per se, which is loosely contained in the sliding tube 10. The clamp 19 is provided at the lower end with jaws 20 whose outer tapered surfaces co-operate with an aperture 21 which is formed at the lower part of the sliding tube l0 and it is movable lengthwise in a bored part 22 of the pointed member 3.v

In the clamp 19 is a notch 23, located in the 75 part opposite the place at which the lead is clamped. The depth of the said notch is such that at the maximum, it will not proceed further than the central channel 18, in order that it may not hinder the free passage of the lead. The length l of the notch 23 depends upon the advance which is desired for the feeding of the lead. A notch 24 is provided in the sliding tube 10, in order to uncover the notch 23 of the clamp 19 for all the longitudinal positions of the said clamp. i

In the notches 23 and 24 is located a member which is secured to the pointed member 3 and may consist of a pin 25 situated in an eccentric hole in the pointed member 3, or of a disc 25 (Figs. 3 and 4), mounted in a radial notch 26 in the pointed member 3. The position of theeccentric hole containing the pin 25, or the depth of the notch 26, are such'that the' depth of the notches 24 and 23 of the tube 10 and of the 'clamp 19 will not encroach upon the channel 18 in order to be able to receive the member 25 or 25a.

A spring 27, subject to compression, surrounds the sliding tube 10 between the rear part 28 of the pointed member 3 and the shoulder 9 of the sliding tube 10.

The operation is as follows. When a pressure is exercised upon the lead-container by means of the cap 6, this lowers the sliding tube 10 (Fig. 1) the clamp 19 which is held fast by its tapered part 20, moves the lead 17IL forward by an amount depending upon the play allowed by the notch 23 around the pin 25 or the member 25 (Figs. 3 and 4). By continuing the forward movement of the sliding tube 10the clamp 19 will be released from A 110 2 the female clamping cone, 21, as it 1s retained by the rear part (the upper part in Fig. 1) of the notch 23 which now makes contact with the Acontact'. with the pin 25. The clamp 19 is then checked, and as the sliding tube continues to recede, its tapered hole 21 will cause the clamp 19 to close, and thus to hold the lead 17a in the new position occupied by the latter.

By repeating the aforesaid operation, the lead can be advanced as many times as may be desired. The pencil being held in the vertical position, all

A of the leads 17 in the container 5 will come into place in succession, in order that they may be moved forward by the clamp 19.

The pencil as above described Oilers several important advantages. In the first place, it can be entirely taken apart, which is not usually the case with similar pencils. For this purpose, the body 1 is unscrewed, and then the screw 13 in order to remove the container 5. The pin or like member such as 25a is uncovered by the removal of the body 1, and said pin (or the like) is then removed in` order to release the clamp 19 and the tube 10. -Secondlsnthe pin 25, which serves as a stop for the clamp 19, thus eliminates the two usual end stops, and has another advantage due to the fact that it 'prevents all rotation of the mechanism, thus avoiding the breakage of the leads, which is a defectinherent in all pencils in which the mechanism is rotatable. On the other hand, it should be noted that the container tube 5, the vsliding tube 10 and the pointed member 3 form a device which is perfectly rigid with reference to the longitudinal. axis of the pencil, thus obviating another cause of breakage of the leads.

Obviously, the said invention is not limited to the forms of construction herein described and represented, which are given solely by way of example.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: Y 1. In an automatic lead pencil, a pencil body, a hand operable lead container axially movable in said body, a loose lead clamp, a tube for con- -trolling the clamping action of s aid clamp, a return spring adapted to urge said tube rearwardly, stop means on said lead clamp, xed stop means on said body, adapted to stop thermotion of said clamp, before said tube reaches the end of its stroke and to thereby cause said tube to release said clamp toward the end of the hand controlled feeding strokev and to close said clamp toward the end of the spring controlled return stroke, said tube having a longitudinally slitted end engaging said lead container and formed with a tapered screw threaded hole, and a tapered hollow screw screwing in said hole, the head of said screw being operable by -a tool engaged through said lead container, said screw being adapted to guide the leads from vsaid container into said clamp.

. 2. In an automatic lead pencil, a pencil body, a 8. hand operable lead container axially movable in said body, a loose lead clamp, a tube for controlling the clamping action of said clamp, a return spring adapted to urge said tube rearwardly. a lateral notch in said clamp, a corresponding lateral notch in said tube, of greater length than the former, a transverse stop member secured to said body and engaging said notches and means for connecting said lead container with said tube.

3. An automatic `lead pencil as claimed in claim 2, wherein said body comprises a cylindrical casing and a conical tip having a projection screwing in said casing, said transverse stop member removably fitting in a mortise of said projection within said casing.

4. An automatic lead pencil as claimed in claim 2, wherein said body comprises a cylindrical casing and a conical tip having a projection screwing in said casing, said transverse stop member consisting of a pin removably tting in aligned holes of said projection within said casing.

5. An automatic lead pencil as claimed in claim 2, wherein said body comprises a cylindrical casing and a conical tip having a projection screwing in said casing, said transverse stop member con- 11a sisting of asector shaped member fitting in a. sector shaped notch of said projection within said casing.

6. In an automatic pencil, a cylindrical casing, a conical tip having a projection screwing in said casing, a hand operable lead container axially movable in said casing, a loose lead clamp, a tube, for controlling the clamping action of said clamp, a return spring adapted to urge said tube rearwardly, a lateral notch in said clamp, a corresponding lateral notch in said tube, of greater f length than the former, a transverse stop member engaging said notches and removably fitting in a'mortise of said projection within said casing, said tube having a longitudinally slitted end engaging said lead container and formed with a tapered screw threaded hole', and a tapered hollow screw screwing in said hole, the head of said screw being operable by a tool engaged through .said lead container, said screw being adapted to guide the leads from said container into said clamp.

l RAOUL SABON. 

